The Hawaii Department of Transportation announced on May 4 that Kamehameha Highway at Waimea Bay will be fully closed from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Sunday, May 17, for helicopter operations to drape rockfall netting over the slope above the roadway.
This closure is part of ongoing efforts to stabilize the slope and protect this key transportation route for North Shore residents and visitors. The project aims to reduce risks from falling rocks by installing a 200,000 square foot protective net anchored to the slope and supported by a 500-foot-long impact fencing system at its base.
During the closure, crews will also remove steel plates that were previously placed over a waterline during earlier stabilization work. Emergency vehicles and TheBus will be allowed through with advance coordination, while electronic signage will guide motorists who can turn around at designated points near ‘Ili‘ohu Place on one side and Kapuhi Street/Three Tables on the other.
According to the official website, the Hawaii Department of Transportation manages facilities including multiple airports for domestic and international carriers, commercial harbors and a statewide highway system according to the official website. The department functions as part of the executive branch of state government according to its official site, operating infrastructure across all six major Hawaiian islands as reported by HDOT. It collaborates with federal agencies such as the Federal Aviation Administration, U.S. Coast Guard and Federal Highway Administration in addition to county planning departments according to HDOT.
The single lane closure currently in place is expected to continue throughout construction. Professional crews are working daylight hours daily so that maintaining this lane restriction around-the-clock has reduced overall project duration by half. Contraflow timing has been adjusted: more time is allotted for Kahuku-bound traffic between late morning and early afternoon, while Hale‘iwa-bound traffic receives extra time later in the day; overnight contraflow uses temporary signals.
Total estimated cost for this emergency repair project is $34.4 million with completion anticipated later this summer. For additional details or video footage of work underway see https://youtu.be/DjTFQG0fx9s?si=VFrGofx-xyAr6_P3.
